Fall is in full swing and the leaves have hints of color. In search of the bright leaves, we drove the Adventure Subaru into the Ozarks. We stopped at the serene Lake Fort Smith State Park where you can view the ever-changing trees from a different perspective.
The state park offers lake tours year-round but there’s something special about visiting the water in October.
“Our fall magic lake tours are something that’s very popular because we are going out during the peak fall season and we get to see a lot of those shoreline colors," stated Heather Hula, a Park Interpreter at Lake Fort Smith State Park.
We joined one of the refreshing lake tours to learn the history of the lake, take in the nature around us, and hopefully see some changing leaves.
“But when you’re along the lakeshore you get to see those smaller trees that grow under the shadow of those large hardwood trees, and those are the trees that put on a little bit more of a show. Like our gum trees and our dogwood trees will have the bright red leaves. They’ll be a few other smaller shrubs that have the same colors too. Without this lakeside you wouldn't otherwise be able to see that," Hula said.
The brilliant changing colors depend on three things: shorter, days, leaf pigments, and the weather.
More rainfall in the summertime and more moisture in the soil means we’ll see a more spectacular and brighter display of colors during the fall season. You can already start to see the golden colors in the leaves behind me along the lakeshore.
After spotting a few changing leaves on the boat, you can test the trails, check out the campgrounds, or grab a kayak.
“It’s an oasis here in the Boston Mountains. Lake Fort Smith is tucked away yet close enough to all these metropolitan areas, yet when you’re here it’s like stepping back in time or stepping into nature and drowning out all the stuff that creates such busy lives," stated Hula.
For Adventure Arkansas, and touring the lake where you live, I'm 5NEWS Meteorologist Sabrina Bates.
Segment Sponsored By: Adventure Subaru